


Alistair's Return

by Fenchurch87



Series: The Way of the Warden [14]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Politics, Post-Blight, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 05:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15406458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenchurch87/pseuds/Fenchurch87
Summary: Alistair returns to Vigil's Keep - and Solona Amell - after a long absence. Originally written in response to a writing prompt on /r/dragonage.





	Alistair's Return

_At last_ , Alistair thought as the towers of Vigil's Keep came into view. Six months of battling through Ferelden killing the last remaining darkspawn were finally over. He glanced around at his companions, wondering if they were as relieved to get rid of him as he was to be rid of them. They hadn't appreciated his jokes, and he hadn't enjoyed their constant questions about how Solona had survived killing the Archdemon. It didn't matter how many times he shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know; they all seemed to think he was hiding something. Even worse than the questions was the criticism. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on how he and Solona had dealt with the Blight. And wanted to discuss it at great length. He had to resist the urge to shout at them sometimes. _We defeated the darkspawn, didn't we? Isn't that all that matters?_ Apparently not. No, he would not be sorry to see them go.

It was another few hours before they reached the front gates. Alistair could hear some of the Wardens muttering to each other now that the crumbling walls and partially collapsed towers were visible. How could the Warden-Commander have chosen to save Amaranthine rather than defending the Keep? _Oh, so saving innocent people is a bad thing now?_ Yet again, Alistair forced himself not to say the words out loud. It wouldn't be long before he would be back where he belonged.

Stroud led the Wardens through the courtyard, and Alistair's heart began to race as they approached the throne room. The thought of seeing Solona again, of finally being able to hold her in his arms... He willed Stroud to walk faster.

But when they first entered the throne room, it wasn't Solona who greeted him. Alistair had barely walked through the door when a dark shape bounded across the room and threw itself at him. Before he knew what was happening, he was lying on his back while a huge mabari tried to cover his face in saliva. “Hello to you too, Ivan,” he laughed, fending the hound off as best he could.

“Ivan! To me!” The mabari leapt off Alistair at the sound of his mistress's voice. Not the most dignified of entrances, Alistair thought as he struggled to his feet and prepared to face the woman he loved.

Solona Amell, Warden-Commander of Ferelden and Arlessa of Amaranthine, sat in a high-backed chair in front of them. Alistair could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he looked at her. Maker, she was beautiful. His memory hadn't done her justice. There was something different about her, he realised, but he couldn't figure out what it was at first. Her hair was longer now; it almost reached her shoulders, although she still wore it in her usual braids. Her clothes were different too – she had swapped her old robes for Grey Warden regalia. That wasn't it, though. It was how she carried herself that had changed. He could see it in the way she sat in the chair, the way she tilted her chin. Here was a woman who was used to giving commands – and to having her commands obeyed.

“Welcome to Vigil's Keep,” she said in a clear, confident voice. That had changed as well. “I would like to thank you for all you have done to drive the darkspawn out of Ferelden. I can assure you that your efforts will not go unrewarded.” She addressed her words to Stroud, but her gaze took in all theWwardens before her, Alistair included. “In the meantime, we have prepared rooms for all of you. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like.”

Stroud spoke a few words of thanks and expressed his intention to remain at Vigil's Keep for a few days before returning to Orlais. Solona nodded. They must all be tired after their travels, and she wouldn't keep them any longer. A clear dismissal, which once again seemed to include Alistair.

Was that it? The longed for reunion? Alistair had imagined her running into his arms as soon as she saw him. That was foolish of course, but he had hoped for some sign of affection. Maybe a little smile during that brief moment when their eyes met. But there had been nothing. Did she expect him to leave with the Orlesian Wardens? He supposed she must. But as he turned towards the door, Solona called out to him.

“Warden Alistair?”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Will you stay for a little longer? I wish to talk to you about training some of the new recruits.”

Alistair searched for something in her face or voice, but once again there was no sign that he meant anything to her at all. She might as well have been talking to a complete stranger. Did she only speak in commands now? _Maybe she'll send me a summons later. The Warden-Commander requests your presence in her bedroom._ The thought was so ridiculous that he almost laughed. There was another possibility though. One that had occurred to him more than once over the last few months, but that he had always dismissed because he couldn't bear to think about it. Had she come to her senses during their long separation? Realised that she didn't find him funny, sweet or charming after all, but rather foolish, annoying and pathetic? Was he about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to him?

The door closed behind the last Orlesian Warden, and Warden-Commander Amell leapt out of her chair and into Alistair's arms. “Oh. Okay” was all he had time to say before she threw her arms around his neck and started kissing him passionately.

Safe in Solona's embrace, he forgot all about his earlier fears. For the next few minutes he lost himself in the warmth of her arms, the sweetness of her kisses, _her_. “I love you,” he said, gazing into her big dark eyes during a break in the kissing.

“I love you too.” Solona smiled up at him and gently ran her fingers through his hair. “I'm sorry about all that nonsense with Stroud and the others. I can only imagine what you must have thought.”

“Well, I did wonder–” Alistair trailed off, suddenly ashamed that he had ever doubted her.

“Stroud brought me a message from Weisshaupt just before you left with him. It seems that the First Warden and most of the other Warden-Commanders do not approve of our relationship.”

“They don't?” Alistair frowned. “How do they even know about it?”

Solona pulled a face. “They seem to know everything. Maybe one of the Wardens who came to Ferelden at the end of the Blight noticed something and reported back. We didn't do anything to hide it, after all.”

“I suppose not. So what does it mean? For us?” A horrible thought occurred to him. “They didn't order us to break up, did they?”

“Not directly, no. But it was very heavily implied that it would be for the best. I wrote back that I had no intention of ending our relationship and that I couldn't see how it was any of their business.”

“Wow. That didn't go down well, I take it?”

Solona laughed bitterly. “Not at all well. They sent a reply saying that of course my personal life was my own affair, but if they received any reports of you receiving favourable treatment over my other subordinates – they actually used that word – then they would be forced to take drastic action. Whatever that means. Depose me and put somebody else in charge, I suppose.”

“So that's why you–”

“Pretended not to care about you? Yes. And why I had to tell a silly lie so I could talk to you alone.” Solona sighed. “We have to be very careful while Stroud and the other Wardens are here.”

“So we can't show any affection in public at all?”

“None at all.”

“Okay.” Alistair raised an eyebrow at her. “And what about in private?”

“Well, in private... Does this answer your question?” Solona kissed him again. Very enthusiastically.

Alistair couldn't quite trust himself to speak when Solona finally pulled away from him. He nodded, aware that he was probably grinning like an idiot.

“Good.” Solona giggled, and then cleared her throat. When she spoke again, it was in her best Commander of the Grey voice. “Now, if you have no other plans for today... The Warden-Commander requests your presence in her bedroom.”

 


End file.
